The prior patent art reveals various clock radios incorporating timing mechanisms or devices to turn the radio on or off at a set time or actuate an alarm. Certain such prior art radios included a light adapted to be flashed on and off as a signal to awaken a sleeping person. Other such radios incorporated a so-called "slumber-switch" used to turn the radio on and after expiration of a selected time period when the user has gone to sleep to turn the radio off. This slumber switch was such that it could be utilized without affecting the alarm setting for the radio. It was known too in clock radios that two sets of volume and station selecting controls might be utilized so that when a timer mechanism activated the radio it would operate at a preselected station and volume which operation could be had independently of a separate set of tuning and volume controls. One prior clock radio provided timer mechanism which activated the radio for a period of time and over this period of time uniformly decreased the volume of the radio from its set position, or volume level, to zero, after which the radio was turned off. When the radio was automatically turned on again as a wake up device, the mechanism caused the volume gradually to increase from the zero position, or level, to its previous setting.
Another prior patent disclosure reveals a light alarm system associated with an electrical clock so that the light was activated at a preset time as a wake up alarm controlled by the clock mechanism. When activated the light operated at a low light level and gradually increased from this minimum degree of brightness until full brightness was attained in simulation of daylight.